Floating dock.



PATBNTED SEPT.- l, 1903 G. E. TITGOMB.

FLOATING DOCK. APPLICATION mm :IAN'. 18, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

mam

cams Perms co. wmuumo" WASHINGYCN a 1 PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903..

G. E. TITGOMB. FLOATING DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 18,1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET '2,

N0 MODEL.

as co, warn-mus" WASHINGTO No. 738,084. PATENTBD SEPTA, 1903.-

G. E. TITGOMB. v FLOATING DOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED JAR-18, 19 02.

fii inws'aa- I UNTTED STATES Fatented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. TITCOMB, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DODGECOAL STORAGE COMPANY, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTI- OUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

FLOATING DOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,084, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90,346. (No model.)

To all whom it vnay concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TITGOMB, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Floating Docks, of which the following is aspecification.

The main object of my invention is to provide means whereby steamshipscanbe readily coaled from barges or canal-boats without using thehoisting mechanism of the steamship. This object I attain byprovidingafloating dock into which the canal-boat can be run, the dock havingcrane or other hoisting mechanism for discharging the coal from thecanal-boat and delivering it to the steamship.

A further object of the invention is to provide means forcounterbalancing the crane when shifted from one position to another onthe dock.

W'hile my invention is especially applicable for the eoaling ofsteamships, it willbe understood that my improved floating dock can beused for discharging other materials from boats either to steamships orto wharves or storage-houses.

' By my invention I dispense with the large number of laborers employedand can readily transfer the coal or other material from the canal-boatto the steamship without using the hoisting mechanism of the steamship,which can be used for loading merchandise and for other purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of alloating dock,illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view showing the dock alongside a steamship, and Fig. 4: is aview of a modification which may be used to discharge barges or othervessels having masts.

A is a pontoon, which is quadrangular in shape in the present instanceand has a bot tom A, sides A and one end A, the other end being open forthe passage of a canal-boat or barge. The pontoon can be made of anysuitable material, having sufficient space at the bottom, sides, and oneend so that it will have buoyancy enough to float at the proper depth.The bottom of the pontoon is sufficiently below the surface of the waterto allow a loaded canahboat, for instance, to pass freely into the dockB without striking the sill, and there is sufficient room at one end ofthe pontoon surrounding the deck for the accommodation of a generator Cand, if necessary, an engine C.

On each side A is a track d, 011 which travels the crane D. This cranecan be of any form desired, but I preferably make it as shown in thedrawings, having an inclined boom (1, on

' which travels the trolley e, from which is suspended the bucket E.This bucket ean be of any type desired. The ropes for raising, lowering,and operating the bucket lead to a hoisting-engine E on the crane, andthis hoisting-engine may receive power from the generator C at one-endof the pontoon. It will be noticed that the crane extends from one sideof the pontoon to the opposite side, span ning the dock, and can travelthe full length thereof, so that it can be moved opposite any of thehatches of the steamship and can also be moved over anyof the hatches ofthe canalboat. If it is found that the hatches of the steamship andcanal-boat do not aline, the canal-boat can be readily shifted so as tobring its hatches in line with the hatches of the steamship. Supportedfrom the crane in any d esired manner is a guard or shield (Z of metalor woodwork, which extends over the coal-hopper m of the steamship M andacts as a guard for the bucket, so that it will not injure the vesselduring the operation of coaling. In order to counterbalance the cranewhen it is shifted from one position to another on the pontoon, Iprovide a traveling counterweight G, which has wheels 9 arranged totravel on tracks a in the bottom A of the pontoon. This counterweightGis connected to the crane D by ropes or chains '2', which pass aroundguide-sheaves t" at each end of the pontoon. \Vhen the crane is in thecenter po sition, as shown in Fig. 2, then the counterbalance-weight isdirectly under the crane; but should the crane be shifted toward one endthe counterweight moves the same distance toward the opposite end, thuscounterbalancing the weight of the crane.

I preferably provide removable struts F, which extend from one side A tothe opposite side, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to stiffen the pontoon; butI find that these struts in some instances are not absolutely necessary.

In the drawings I have showna pontoon of sufficient length toaccommodate two canalboats; but it will be understood that the pontoonmay be of alength only sufiicient to accommodate one boat or may be madeof a length to accommodate more than two canal-boats if necessary, andin place of one crane two cranes may be used, and if two cranes are usedthe counterweight may be dispensed with, as one crane may act as acounterbalance for the other.

\Vhile I have shown a crane arranged to travel on the pontoon,thepontoon maybe provided in some instances witha fixed crane and thepontoon adjusted in respect to the hatches of the steamship and thecanal-boat shifted in the dock to bringits several hatches in line withthe crane; but I prefer the construction shown in the drawings, owing tothe fact that the pontoon can be fixed in relation to the steamboat andits crane can travel so as to be in line with any of the hatches.

I have shown in Fig. 1 a fixed boom-crane; but it will be understoodthat I may use any form of cranesuch, for instance, as a swivelcrane-orI may use a double boom-crane, so as to load from either side of thepontoon.

I11 Fig. 4 I have shown a bridge type of crane which can be used inconnection with a barge and may be used for transferring material from aboat at one side of the pontoon over the pontoon to a fixed dock or toanother boat, or the material may be discharged into a barge orcanal-boat in the dock of the pontoon. A is the pontoon, and one side ofthe pontoon is of greater width than the other,and on the widest part inthe present instance is the main standard D of the crane. Pivoted at fis a truss structure F in the form of a bridge, which extends across thedock in the pontoon and overhangs the opposite side. This bridge F issupported at its outer end'by a standard D on the pontoon. Both thestandards D and D may travel on suitable rails on the pontoon, as shownin Fig. 4. Pivoted at f to the standard D is a truss structure F, whichcan be lowered, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 4, so as to be acontinuation of the bridge F. The truss F is arranged to extend over avessel or wharf; but both pivoted structures F F can be raised so as toallow a vessel having masts to readily pass into the dock of the pontoonor alongside of the pontoon, as shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a pontoon inclosing adock, an adjustable crane thereon and an automatically-adjustablecounterbalance for the crane, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a pontoon inclosing V travel on one set of railsand a counterbalance constructed to travel on the second set of rails,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a pontoon containing a dock for the reception of acanal-boat or barge, a crane arranged to travel on the deck of saidpontoon, a counterweight at the bottom of the pontoon and connected tothe crane so that when the crane is moved toward one end of the pontoonthe counterweight will move toward the opposite end, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of a pontoon having a hollow bottom, hollow sides andone end and open at the other end to form a dock in which a can al-boator barge can float, rails on the sides of the pontoon, atraveling cranemounted thereon, a counterweight within the bottom of the pontoon, andropes connecting each end of the counterweight with each end of thecrane, so that when the crane is moved toward one end of the pontoon thecounterweight will move toward the other end, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination of a pontoon inclosing a dock, a crane on thepontoon, a bucket suspended from said crane, and a shield on the craneso as to protect the vessel being loaded, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a pontoon inclosinga clock, a main standardcarried on one side of said pontoon and an auxiliary standard carried onthe other side thereof, with a truss structure pivoted to the mainstandard and constructed to be engaged and be supported by the auxiliarystandard when in operative position, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a pontoon inclosing a dock, a main standardcarried on one side of said pontoon and an auxiliary standard carried onthe other side thereof, two truss structures pivoted to the mainstandard, one of the same being constructed to engage and be supportedby the auxiliary standard when in an operative position, substantiallyas described.

8. The combination of a pontoon inclosing a dock, with a crane on thedock having a movable boom or bridge that can be raised so as to allow avessel to freely enter the clock of the pontoon, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. TITCOMB.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, .los. H. KLEIN.

ICC

